


Love Is A Battlefield

by Hopeless_Romantic_45



Category: Original Work
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Hospitals, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Military, My First AO3 Post, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, alot of research went into this, eventual ptsd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28165665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hopeless_Romantic_45/pseuds/Hopeless_Romantic_45
Summary: When a recently discharged soldier runs into the doctor who saved his life sparks fly. But not all relationships are easy? This story explores the connection between two men and how they help each other through hard times.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody! This is my first work posting on Ao3. Sorry that I literally have no idea how to write summaries. Hope you enjoy this work and kudos and suggestions on improvements are appreciated.

They had been in Iraq for three months now, even though the sun was gone, the air was still humid and unbearable. Sergent Levi Campbell was crouched behind a boulder, keeping his eye on his target. He was slightly on edge, ready to make his move once necessary.

هناك هم! تشغيل!  
(There they are!Run!)

They had been discovered, their guns were now at the ready. Levi runs from his hideout with his gun ready to fire. He sees Anderson at his back and Trevor at his side. They ran in not caring of the consequences. Shots were fired, their targets had been killed. Levi took out a cigarette and lit it, it seemed to be his only means of stress relief. The walk back to the humvee was kept in silence, no one really sure what to say, not much to say. Everyone's nerves were on edge, an attack could come at any moment. 

“Back to base then?” Jackson asked from the driver's side. Everyone exchanged nods and went about their post-opt rituals. Levi lighting another cigarette and putting it to his lips.

“Hey you mind Campbell! Not all of us enjoy the smell of smoke.” Levi continued to smoke not paying attention to their requests. Everyone seemed to hate him, always found something they didn’t like about him. Levi was never one for socializing and always kept to himself. It was something he picked up in high school when his new found sexuality provoked alienation and withdrawal from those who he once thought were his friends; everyone was now his enemy.  
The loud yells of his teammates pulled Levi out of his thoughts, his mind and senses now becoming hyper aware. Off in the distance a projectile was seen hurtling towards them. The brakes were pushed hard, everyone preparing to run from the truck. 

Everything moved too quickly. The feeling of being thrown and the loud undeniable sound of explosives ringing through his ears, and then sudden darkness. This was it, he was dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the introduction to our second main character. I know these first few chapters are pretty short but I promise after introductions they will get longer. As always kudos and suggestions are appreciated.

Elijah had joined the military at age twenty and had expected to be on the front lines. It was a year later that he realized that medicine was a better fit. It may have also been the fact that he hadn’t even made it through basic training. By twenty six he was signing his contract to become an emergency physician. Flash forward to six years later at thirty two Elijah walks past the bed of one of the patients he had seen earlier that day. As harsh as the job can be he has learned to never get attached. You see patients come in and never leave, Elijah’s surprised that he doesn’t have nightmares after seeing what he has. 

“Elijah, you’re spacing out again” Peyton exclaims as she playfully punches him in the arm pulling him out of his thoughts. He doesn’t know what drew her to him but she had shown him the ropes when he first arrived and they had been friends ever since. “You know how I am sometimes, I'm surprised I haven't been discharged yet.” he says letting out a chuckle. 

“Incoming! We have a male-28 years of age-multiple injuries-victim of humvee explosion.”

Upon hearing this from the radio Elijah jumps into action preparing equipment and preparing for the incoming patient. He knows how bad these accidents can be and his breath hitches as he thinks of what could possibly come through the doors. In a matter of five minutes the doors rush open as the medics rush in with a stretcher; Elijah rushes over and follows and begins assessing the man. “It had appeared that the patient had taken the lesser blow as he was a ways away from the blast.” 

“Where are the others from his unit?” Elijah questions as he continues to check over the man and begins treating his wounds. “He was the only survivor, sir all others were DOA.” Elijah thinks on it but is pulled out of his thoughts quickly to make sure he focuses on making sure that he doesn’t lose the man who has already been through so much.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last short chapter before we really get into the story. I hope to get chapter 4 up before Christmas but time will tell I guess. Kudos and suggestions appreciated.

The man, who Elijah now knows as Levi Campbell, sergent with unit 34, and the lone survivor of an enemy attack that should have taken his life. Elijah walks to the man’s cot checking his current state. It had been a rough night for both men as ELijah made it his sole duty to make sure he treated this man. Incidents like these seemed to always result in life threatening injuries. Some higher power must have been watching him because Levi had escaped with a few lacerations,bruising, and a broken arm.

Elijah feels something in the pit of his stomach, he was overjoyed that he could help the man and that he was beginning to recover. But other lives had been lost and he can only imagine the burden that the other man will hold. Elijah is pulled out of his thoughts as the heart monitor speeds slightly as the man begins to move.

The man lets out a pained grunt as he begins to regain consciousness and shifts restlessly.  
“Stop....No....Don’t” he exclaims in a low and almost fearful tone.  
“Sergent you are at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. You were in a humvee accident. You're safe.” the doctor states hoping to ease the man's fear. Elijah is hesitant as the man’s eyes begin to open,frantic and unfocused trying to make sense of his surroundings. He attempts to check vitals carefully to not further spook the wounded soldier. The soldier attempts to grab Elijah's arm but struggles as the cast hinders his movements. He seems to give up as after another grunt of frustration his eyes roll back and he returns to unconsciousness.

Elijah lets out a sigh as he finishes his evaluation and determines that his patient will be fine for the time being. He walks from the bed to check on the other patients in his care.  
After the longest day he has had in a while is finally over he heads to the locker room to change. Now in more comfortable clothes Elijah walks through the halls, mind blank as he follows a route he knows by heart.  
“Rough day I take it.” Peyton says from behind him as she wraps her arms around his shoulders hoping to offer him a small bit of comfort.  
“I can't stop thinking about my newest patient, you’d think after doing this so long I'd be used to tragedy. But there's something about this one that feels worse than usual.”  
“Always so sentimental aren't we.” Elijah had always been one to dwell on everything. Question himself over every little thing and become attached. Some would say he wasn't a good candidate for this job, but hey he's good at what he does.

With a goodbye and a hug the two separate and make their way home. Elijah opens the door to his small apartment,sets his keys on the counter and makes his way to the couch. If you had told a young Elijah Lewis-Rodriguez that he would be deployed to a hospital in the middle of Germany he would have said you were crazy. After sitting for a while and contemplating his plans for the night he stands up and goes in search of beer. He twists off the top and takes a gulp of the amber liquid letting the tension and anxiety of his day melt away. He makes his way to his tiny bedroom and kicks his shoes off and makes his way to the bathroom to find some relief under the calming warm spray of his shower head.

Once in his pajamas he eases himself into bed and plugs in his phone. He scrolls through his various social media accounts hoping to eventually drift off to sleep. It isn't until thirty minutes later that he finally decides to shut off his phone and slip into what he hopes will be a good night's sleep. Although he doesnt want to admit it before he slips into unconsciousness the face of his newest patient comes to his mind. Shit. He really is in it this time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 4! We finally get to learn more about our main character Levi. This chapter is a little longer than the previous ones. I hope that the chapters following are as long or longer. So hoped you enjoy and as always kudos and comments are appreciated.Enjoy! ****Trigger warning in the end notes

Chapter 4

This is not the first time Levi has been unconscious. He supposes it just comes with the job, protecting his country. He feels the familiar nothingness of unconsciousness but he attempts to open his eyes. He hears a steady beeping but only feels confused and fearful as he begins to remember the yelling and the sound of an explosion.   
The heart monitor begins to quicken as Levi becomes more aware and begins to panic. Suddenly two figures appear in the room moving quickly to assist the panicking soldier.

“Sir, you're at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. You were in a humvee accident. Please I need you to calm down.” The words slowly sink into Levi’s anxiety fueled panic and he begins to attempt to calm his racing heart. His vision begins to clear as he hears another voice talking to him through taking breaths.   
“There we go slow and steady. Keep it up.” The male doctor's encouragement keeps Levi’s breaths steady. 

A few minutes later Levi is propped up in bed finally feeling calm. He watches carefully as the doctor and nurse check the various machines surrounding him and type various things on their tablets. “ Are you experiencing any pain or discomfort?” The doctor asks as he looks questioningly at him. “ My whole body is sore but I've had worse.” The doctor types more on his tablet. Levi begins to piece together his hazy memories and has to stop as he begins to feel his breath catch in his throat.

“Are the others ok?” Levi questions, he can tell by the doctors immediate change in demeanor that the answer isn't yes. He feels the familiar sadness that he’s felt so many times before. He brings his uninjured hand to cover his eyes as he feels tears begin to fall. He suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder moving up in a comforting gesture. “I'm sorry for your loss. We did the best that we could.” The doctor removes his hand from his back after Levi begins to calm and moves to finish his evaluation. “I'm going to give you a light dose of pain medication to help with the soreness. It may make you feel a bit drowsy.” Levi only nods his head. The empty feeling settles in as he begins to process all that has happened. Soon he feels the fuzziness of the medication wash over his body. He soon falls into unconsciousness as the effects of the medication sink in completely.

After a day or two Levi finally feels more like himself,the haze of pain medication finally gone as the pain has subsided.   
“How are we feeling today Levi?”  
“Do you call all your patients by their first name or am I just special?” Levi asks jokingly. This doctor was interesting to say the least. Always checking on him constantly and honestly it made Levi feel something he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

“I think it's important to have trust and connection with my patients. I know this is the last place people want to be and I don't want people to feel like they're alone. So at least I can be a shoulder to lean on for those who need it.”

“I guess that makes sense. And to answer your question I’m doing better.” Although this wasn't completely true he does feel better than he did a day ago. The soreness mostly gone and his appetite much better then it had been as he actually ate the toast and butter he was offered.

Time passes and Levi makes a difficult decision. One that had constantly been swimming around in his head. Was he making a big mistake? Would he regret the decision? He knew of so many soldiers returning home and struggling to readjust. He finally decides that the best decision is to walk away. This time he escaped with bruises and a broken arm. But what happens the next time this happens? 

He has an appointment with a therapist the next day. He is hesitant to say anything. He knows he's probably not in the best head space. After many minutes of avoidance he finally begins to talk to the therapist. The final diagnosis, depression and what the therapist can tell is signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. One positive Levi finds is his therapist's agreement with him discharging. She feels that if he continues it may do more harm than good. 

Paper work is completed and things are made official. Before he knows it he's on a plane heading to Los Angeles to live with his sister. His sister was chosen as a trusted person that he could go to live with. And if Levi was being honest he did not want to be alone.

Levi and his sister always had a strong relationship with his sister. She was the only one who he always felt had his back. Levi had come out at age 15. His parents pretended as if this had never happened, throwing girls at him and forcing things that they thought made him seem more “straight”. Although he knows that things could have been worse for him, it still caused their relationship to become strained.

After hours in the air the plane finally touches down in Los Angeles. Levi begins to feel an unfamiliar anxious feeling overcome him. After he leaves the aircraft he blindly makes his way through the airport and grabs his bag. The anxious feeling still felt faintly, he looks for a familiar face among the sea of other people waiting for their loved ones. He eventually sees a familiar head with long dark hair that belongs to his sister.

“Hey, little bro. Long time no see.” This brings a smile to his face. He had really missed his sister, the warmth and positivity that she always had and that he had missed while serving.

“God Marcy, I’ve missed you so much. It's been too long.” He embraces his sister, the cast on his arm making it a little awkward. He separates from his sister, after what might have been a very long hug. What can he say hugs were a small luxury he had missed out on.

The two make the drive to Marcy’s apartment, now that Levi really thinks about it he had never seen her apartment. He missed so much while on the other side of the world.

As they arrive and enter the apartment, Levi cant help but feel happy as he looks at the life his sister has made for herself. She walks him through the moderately sized apartment, showing him where he can find everything he might need. Once they reach the guest bedroom, which now acts as his bedroom, he sets his bag on the ground looking around the room taking everything in. 

“I let you get settled in. I'll just be in the living room if you need anything.” Levi begins to feel the tiredness after a day filled with traveling and a strange feeling of anxiety.

“I think i'm just gonna take a nap, it’s been a long day.”

“Ok, I’ll make us dinner when you wake up so try not to sleep too long.” With this Levi changes into a pair of sweatpants and a plain T-shirt. 

He lies on the bed and closes his eyes, soon he feels an uneasy feeling go through his body. He feels wound up. He reminds himself that he's no longer there, he's in a safe place, there's no one coming to get him. He runs his fingers through his hair a few times attempting to calm himself. After repeating this a few times and staring at the blankness of the ceiling he falls into an uneasy sleep. He can tell that he has a long road ahead of him. And if he's being honest with himself, it scares him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Hope you enjoyed it. Not sure when the next chapter will be posted hopefully shortly after the holidays. Next chapter will most likely focus on Levi and his sister Marcy and their relationship.  
> ***** Mentions of PTSD and anxiety


End file.
